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Samantha and I first met in the warm summer of 1999.

I'd spent most of that decade trying to avoid any kind of serious commitment, but with Sam I knew it was different right from the start.

We were the ideal match, making each other laugh when no-one else got the joke, instinctively knowing when the other was down and in need of a lift and always putting the other's needs before our own.

Ian and wife Samantha

Our romance blossomed and it wasn't long before we bought a house together. Neither of us had lived away from our parents before so it was often a case of the blind leading the blind!

But, we managed, and before long got used to coping with the responsibilities of running a home.

Sam loved to travel so holidays were frequent in our lives, be they lounging on the beaches of Mexico or skiing in European mountains.

Yet the biggest adventure of all was getting married and starting a family.

Wedding bells

On the longest day of the year in 2003 we were wed. 

Samantha looked more beautiful than ever. My sister was 'best man' and Sam's brother the master of ceremonies. 

It was an absolutely glorious day and our hundred or so guests all went home smiling. 

Even at our wedding, a sweepstake was run on when our first child would be born and which name we would choose.

Walking the aisle - wedding day 2003

Eighteen months later, Max Newbold came into the world.

Pregnancy

Sam's pregnancy had been more complicated than most. She was born with a heart condition meaning that the doctors insisted on keeping a close eye on her and our baby in the event of any complications.

She coped incredibly well and the two of us faced every stage of the pregnancy together, even attending parenting classes as a couple.

Shortly after giving birth, Sam underwent heart valve replacement surgery. The procedure was a success and we both looked forward to at least another decade or so of healthy living before a follow-up operation might be necessary.

Hopefully, it wouldn't even be needed.

Enjoying life

In those first few months of Max's life, the three of us got up to all sorts: swimming, visiting farms and enjoying those precious early months of a child's life.

Smiling for the camera

To celebrate six months since the birth of our beautiful baby boy, Sam and I decided that the three of us would rent a holiday cottage in Wick St Lawrence, not far from Weston-Super-Mare.

We invited Sam's parents along too for a proper family atmosphere and the five of us enjoyed exploring the coastal sites under the glorious summer sun.

One warm night, after bathing Max outside in an inflatable boat, Sam and I enjoyed some alone time, tucking into a barbeque with some relaxing music drifting through the summer breeze.

We went to bed that night full of ideas about how we'd spend the last few days of our holiday.

Tragedy

Suddenly, during the early hours of the morning, I awoke with a start to find Sam suffering from severe chest pains and a dreadfully high temperature.

I quickly called for an ambulance and alerted my in-laws but Sam had lost consciousness.

Despite our best efforts and those of the paramedics, the most terrible thing imaginable had happened.

Ian and Samantha's son, Max

My wife had died.

Over the next few terrible weeks, I was forced to confront two awful truths:

My six month old son was to grow up without his mother. And I was a single parent and a widower at the age of 28.

What on earth was I going to do?